University Research Council (URC)
The University Research Council (URC), administered by the Senior Vice President for Research, is the governance body for research operations and strategies at Penn State. The URC members serve as research liaisons for their academic areas including University Park, the commonwealth campuses and the College of Medicine at Hershey.
The members include Associate Deans of Research, Institute Directors, Director of Federal Relations, Assistant Vice Presidents, Fellows, and other PSU delegates appointed by the Senior Vice President for Research that are broadly representative of the research-oriented focus among the Penn State community. Meetings occur eight times throughout the calendar year.
For questions regarding URC meetings or membership, please contact osvpr@psu.edu. For a printer-friendly table of URC members, please click here.
URC Members
Omid Ansary
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor's Office
C119 Olmsted Building, Harrisburg, PA
axa8@psu.edu
717-948-6103
Andrew August
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Penn State Abington
119 Sutherland Building, Abington, PA
axa24@psu.edu
215-881-7300
D. Scott Bennett
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
College of the Liberal Arts
105 Sparks Building, University Park, PA
dsb10@psu.edu
814-865-1439
Michael J. Bernstein
Director of Research
Penn State Abington
119 Sutherland Building Abington, PA
mjb70@psu.edu
215-881-7479
Mallika Bose
Associate Dean for Research, Creative Activity, and Graduate Studies
College of Arts and Architecture
102A Borland Building, University Park, PA
mub13@psu.edu
814-863-0408
Rick Brazier
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research
Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses
111 Old Main, University Park, PA
rab27@psu.edu
814-863-0327
James Crandall
Director
Environmental Health and Safety
Steam Services Building Suite 301, University Park, PA 16802-2116
jxc6277@psu.edu
814-863-3767
Eric Donnell
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs
College of Engineering
102 Hammond Building,
University Park, PA
etd104@psu.edu
814-867-6182
Deborah Ehrenthal
Director
Social Science Research Institute
114 Henderson Building University Park, PA
dbe5172@psu.edu
814-865-1528
Jenni Evans
Director
Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
509 Walker Building, University Park, PA
jle7@psu.edu
814-865-3240
Gregory Fosco
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology
Associate Director, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
College of Health and Human Development
306 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA
gmf19@psu.edu
814 865-5622
Corey Griffin
Associate Dean for Research
Penn State Altoona
W110 Smith Building, Altoona, PA
czg443@psu.edu
814-949-5746
Raymond Hohl
Director
Penn State Cancer Institute
400 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
rhohl@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
717-531-6585
Mihoko Hosoi
Associate Dean for Collections, Research, and Scholarly Communications
University Libraries
510 Paterno Library, University Park, PA
mxh5873@psu.edu
814-863-5451
Steven Huddart
Senior Associate Dean
Smeal College of Business
210 Business Building, University Park, PA
sjh11@psu.edu
814-865-0041
Judy Hupcey
Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Research
College of Nursing
Hershey Medical Center
jhupcey@psu.edu
717-531-4160
Greg Kelly
Senior Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, Technology
College of Education
241 Chambers Building, University Park, PA
gjk13@psu.edu
814-863-1489
Sharareh (Sherri) Kermanshachi
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at Penn State Harrisburg,
Associate Dean of Research at Penn State University Park
Penn State Harrisburg
777 W. Harrisburg Pie
C114 Olmsted Bldg.
Middletown, PA, 17057
svk5464@psu.edu
Jennifer Kraschnewski
Director
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI); Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute
500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
jkraschnewski@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
717-531-8161
Daniel Leri
Director
Innovation Park
101C Technology Center, University Park, PA
danleri@psu.edu
814-865-2880
Bruce Logan
Director
Institutes of Energy and the Environment
132 Land and Water Building, University Park, PA
bel3@psu.edu
814-863-0291
Carleen Maitland
Interim Associate Dean for Research
College of Information Sciences and Technology
E397J Westgate Building
cfm12@psu.edu
(814) 863-0640
James Marden
Associate Director
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
201 Huck Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802
Jhm10@psu.edu
814-863-3842
Miguel Mostafa，URC CHAIR 2023-2024
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
Eberly College of Science
517 Thomas Building, University Park, PA
Mam1264@psu.edu
814-863-0555
Anthony Olorunnisola
Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education
College of Communications
215 Carnegie Building, University Park, PA 16802
axo8@psu.edu
814-863-7997
Troy Ott
Interim Director
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
304 Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
University Park, PA 16802
tlo12@psu.edu
814-441-2657
Zoubeida Ounaies
Interim Director (2023)
Materials Research Institute
221 Millenium Science Building, University Park, PA
zxo100@psu.edu
814-867-4443
Dara E. Purvis
Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships
Penn State Law
327 Lewis Katz Building, University Park, PA
dep23@psu.edu
814-865-8996
Clive Randall
Director
Materials Research Institute
N-221 Millennium Science, University Park, PA
car4@psu.edu
814-863-1328
Alicyn Marie Rhoades
Interim Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
Penn State Behrend
203L Jack Burke Research Center, Erie, PA
amh234@psu.edu
814-898-6287
Joshua A. Robinson
Acting Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
N-337 Millennium Science Complex
jrobinson@psu.edu
814-863-8567
Ira Saltz
Chair for RSCA
Faculty Senate
147 Shenango Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146
iss1@psu.edu
724-983-2948
Blair D. Siegfried
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education
College of Agricultural Sciences
217 Ag Admin Building, University Park, PA
bds313@psu.edu
814-865-3136
Allan Sonsteby
Associate Director, Office Head, Communications and Navigation Office
Applied Research Laboratory
300 Information Sciences and Technology Building, University Park, PA 16802
sonsteby@psu.edu
814-865-7299
Michael J. Stedelin
Director
Office of Research Information Systems
mjs926@psu.edu
Debra Thurley
Assistant Vice President
Office for Research Protections
The 330 Building Suite 205 University Park , PA
djd116@psu.edu
814-865-2955
Gloria (Geanie) Umberger
Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Industry Research Collaborations
Office of Industrial Partnerships
101B Technology Center, University Park, PA
gumberger@psu.edu
814-867-0137
Sheila L. Vrana
Associate Dean for Research
College of Medicine
H138 Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
svrana@psu.edu
717-531-8495
Amanda Wintersteen
Director of Federal Relations
Office of Government and Community Relations
117 Old Main, University Park, PA
AWintersteen@psu.edu
814-865-5431
Bin Yan
Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Technology Management
Office of Technology Management
113 Technology Center, University Park, PA
bby5136@psu.edu
814 865-6227
Invited Attendees
Kim Brue
Assistant Vice President for Research Communications
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304B Old Main, University Park, PA
kch1@psu.edu
814-865-6042
Lara Fowler
Interim Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of the Sustainability Institute
Institutes of Energy and the Environment
Lewis Katz Building, University Park, PA
lbf10@psu.edu
Patty Hickman
Financial Officer
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
118 Transportation Research Building, University Park, PA
pas163@psu.edu
814-865-1987
Jenifer Hoffman (per Judy Hupcey)
Director for Grants and Contracts
Center for Nursing Research
201 Nursing Sciences Building, University Park, PA
qzh2@psu.edu
814-865-9337
Michael Lanagan
Associate Director
Materials Research Institute
N-329 Millennium Science Complex, University Park, PA
mxl46@psu.edu
814-865-6992
Vijay Narayanan
Interim Director of Limited Submissions,
Associate Dean of Innovation for the College of Engineering
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
W323 Westgate Building, University Park, PA
vxn9@psu.edu
814-863-0392
Jennifer Nicholas
Director of Postdoctoral Affairs
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
jun149@psu.edu
814-863-9658
Chris Pfeiffer
Limited Submission Program Manager, Business Systems Analyst
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
cxp7@psu.edu
814-863-2173
Ruth Weber
Assistant Vice President for Research Operations
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
rim100@psu.edu
814-876-1463
Ex-Officio Members
David Giannantonio
Assistant General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
227 West Beaver Avenue, Suite 507, State College, PA 16801
djg455@psu.edu
814-867-4088
John Hanold
Associate Vice President for Research and Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
110 Technology Center
jhh6@psu.edu
814-863-0768
Rashonda Harris
Assistant Vice President for Research
Post award contractual compliance
110 Technology Center Building, University Park, PA
rjh6381@psu.edu
814-865-1372
Michelle Hutnik
Director of Research Analytics and Communications
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
mzh17@psu.edu
814-863-6311
Todd Jackson
Director
Animal Resource Program
101 Centralized Biological Lab, University Park, PA
taj5330@psu.edu
814-863-7778
Leslie Parent
Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Research and Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
College of Medicine
H175, Hershey Medical Center
lparent@psu.edu
717-531-7199
Andrew Read
Interim Senior Vice President for Research
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main University Park, PA 16802
afr3@psu.edu
814-865-6332
Phillip E. Savage
Interim Associate Vice President for Research
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
pes15@psu.edu
Michael F. Verderame
Senior Associate Dean
The Graduate School
211 Kern Building, University Park, PA
mxv8@psu.edu
814-865-2516
Candice Yekel
Associate Vice President for Research and Director
Office of Research Protections
Suite 250, The 330 Building, University Park, PA
cay3@psu.edu
814-865-1775